160 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Fruit flies, W. W. Froggatt (Dept. Agr. N. 8. Wales. Farmers'' BuL 2Jf, pp. 

 56, pis. 8). — This account also forms part 3 of a report previously noted (E. S. 

 R., 22, p. 559). 



Influence of external conditions on the longevity of fleas, J. C. Gauthier 

 and A. Raybaud (Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol. [Paris], 61 {1909), No. 37, pp. 861- 

 864)- — Studies of the effect of heat and cold on the longevity of fleas are 

 reported. 



The occurrence of Pulex cheopis on rats and mice from ships, W. Fromme 

 iCentU. Bnkt. [etc.]. 1. AM., Grig., 52 (1909). No. 2. pp. 243-27,8, lil. 1) .— 

 During the period from January 1 to March 2S, 1909, 728 rats and 81 mice col- 

 lected from 51 vessels at the Hamburg docks were examined for parasites. 

 From 51 of the rats and 2 mice 212 fleas were taken, of which 199 were P. 

 cheopis, a si>ecies known to transmit plague, 11 were Ceratophyllus fasciatus, 

 1 was (JtenopsjiUiis niHseuli. and 1 could not be identified. 



Three snout beetles that attack apples, F. E. Brooks ( West Virginia Sta. 

 Bui. 126, pp. 10.5-124, pis. Jf). — This deals with the plum curculio. the apple cur- 

 culio, and the apple weevil. 



The plum curculio has been very abundant in West ^'irginia for several years, 

 and was noticeably destructive to apples during the spring and summer of 1909, 

 the apples in many unsprayed orchards showing, by the first of June, curculio 

 marks in practically every fruit. Early spring varieties, such as Yellow Trans- 

 parent and Early Harvest were stung until the fruit was scarcely recognizable. 

 The fruit from three young York Imperial trees that had not been sprayed 

 showed 1,229 stings, and in the 210 apples borne only 10 escaped injury. The 

 parasite SigalpJnis cureulionis is said to be quite common in the State. "Ants 

 of several species and the larvi^ of soldier beetles were observed in Upshur 

 County in 1908 to kill many of the curculio larvie after they had left the fruit 

 and were seeking places to pupate in the ground." 



Spraying with an arsenical, preferably arsenate of lead, is considered the 

 most effective means of preventing injury. " The spray should consist of from 

 one to 3 lbs. of arsenate of lead to 50 gal. of water, or where Bordeaux mixture 

 is used, the same amount of arsenate of lead to .50 gal. of the mixture." It is 

 desirable, however, to make use also of other methods of preventing injury, 

 such as jarring, cultivation of the soil beneath the trees during July and 

 August to break up pupal cells, and the destruction of fallen fruit. 



The apple curculio is much less abundant and destructive in the State than 

 the two other species. The author has found this curculio on apple, plum, and 

 wild crab at French Creek, Upshur County, and on wild crab at Seebert, 

 Pocahontas County. " While, to our knowledge, it has never been a pest of 

 serious consequence to the apple in West Virginia, yet the fact that it breeds 

 here, quite probably in considerable uuml)ers in many parts of the State, 

 together with the fact that it seems to be forming a liking for cultivated 

 apples, should lead the fruit grower to regard it with suspicion and to do 

 what he can to prevent its rapid multiplication." 



" Where the apple curculio becomes troublesome care should be taken that 

 no thickets of wild crab or hawthorn are allowed to remain as breeding places 

 near the orchards." Jarring is said to be effective against this siiecies. A 

 parasite {Pristomeridia agilis) was reared by the author in August, 1909, from 

 wild crab apples infested with apple curculio larvae that had been collected at 

 French Creek. 



The apple weevil ( Pscudanthonomus crat(cgi) was found to be doing consid- 

 erable injury to apples during the spring and summer of 1909. Previous to 

 June. 1907. when it was observed attacking apples, little was known of its feed- 

 ing habits. " The beetles emerge from hiberuutiou early in the spring and 



